In modern motor vehicles, the engine compartment is becoming increasingly crowded, primarily because of (1) the placement of additional components into the engine compartment, (2) the reduction in volume of the engine compartment, primarily to reduce overall aerodynamic drag of the vehicle, and many other factors.
The crowded nature of the compartment can cause problems in the operation of a cooling fan, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. Fan 3 draws air 4 through a heat exchanger 6, commonly termed a radiator, thereby cooling the liquid coolant within the radiator 6. However, if, as on the right side of the Fig., an obstruction 9 is positioned within the exhaust of the fan 3A, the obstruction 9 can reduce flow through the radiator, thereby reducing cooling.
The invention presents a stratagem for reducing the negative effects of the obstruction 9.